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NASCAR Antitrust Trial: O’Donnell Details Resistance to Revenue Changes as Jordan Set to Testify

Evidence now includes internal messages, exclusivity clauses, plus financial records that plaintiffs cite as proof of monopolistic control.

Overview

  • On Day 4, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell testified that chairman Jim France opposed a new revenue model sought by teams beginning in 2022 and that officials weighed strategies to deter a breakaway series.
  • Internal communications and agreements entered into evidence show track exclusivity efforts and a charter proposal that Commissioner Steve Phelps privately called “zero wins for the teams.”
  • Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins said his team has never turned a profit and estimated roughly $100 million in cumulative losses, criticizing a 112‑page charter offer delivered with a six‑hour deadline.
  • NASCAR raised guaranteed payments to about $12.5 million per chartered car, while testimony from Denny Hamlin and Jenkins put per‑car season costs near $20 million, and 23XI and Front Row are competing without charters.
  • O’Donnell said NASCAR lost about $55 million over three years in Chicago and $6 million in Mexico City but called those races strategic for media deals, and Michael Jordan is scheduled to take the stand today.